Germany news: Söder demands CDU supports of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt reveal themselves
Bavarian leader Markus Söder rebukes CDU colleagues in Saxony-Anhalt for allegedly breaking the firewall against the far-right.
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Bavarian leader Markus Söder criticized CDU members in Saxony-Anhalt for allegedly voting for far-right AfD member Tobias Rausch as state parliamentary speaker, breaching the traditional firewall.
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Why It Matters
Tobias Rausch of the AfD was elected state parliamentary speaker in Saxony-Anhalt, marking a historic rise for a right-wing extremist in postwar Germany.
"Do you want to go somewhere else? Then just say so," Bavarian leader Markus Söder said during an interview with public broadcaster ARD.
As a member of the CSU, the Bavarian sister party of Chancellor Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU), Söder was referencing bloc members in the state of Saxony-Anhalt who are believed to have voted for a member of the far-right in a secret ballot.
Last week, Tobias Rausch of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) — whose chapter in Saxony-Anhalt is classified as right-wing extremist — was elected state parliamentary speaker.
This marked the first time the AfD has seen a member elected to such a position, and the first time in postwar Germany that a right-wing extremist has risen to this rank.
The populist BSW party had declared their intention to support Rausch's nomination alongside the AfD, but his win with 48 votes means that other lawmakers must have voted for him too. It is strongly suspected that these were members of the conservative CDU.
Rausch's election prompted outrage across Germany, including from CDU members who have accused their colleagues of abandoning the so-called "firewall" — the agreement amongst the country's mainstream parties not to support the AfD.
Söder called it "pretty poor form," from the CDU members in Saxony-Anhalt, saying they should "at least have the backbone" to make their decision public.
Open Questions
- Which specific CDU members voted for Tobias Rausch?
- Will there be disciplinary actions within the CDU?
